The invention relates generally to the field of radio antennas, and more specifically to portable radio antennas used by military personnel for radio communications in the field
Prevailing in a battlefield environment requires maintaining command and control over troops deployed in the field, and this entails ability for those troops to communicate their status and situation back to their commanders. Advances in communication gear currently enable deployed troops to employ a variety of radios with different capabilities, but those radios must be able to send signals that can be received by other communication gear available to commanders. For example, many units of the United States Army and Marine Corps deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan carry radios that are part of the Distributed Tactical Communications System (DTCS). The DTCS radios transmit their communication signals to low-earth orbit Iridium satellites that retransmit those radio communications back to command positions. The DTCS system uses line-of-sight radios that must be positioned where their signals can reach the satellite to complete a successful communication.
Frequently, the antenna that affixed to the DTCS radio is not in position to successfully send the signal to the satellite. That means the radio operator must reposition himself to a location where the radio and its antenna can communicate with the satellite system, which can potentially expose the operator to dangerous conditions. Alternatively, due to terrain or man-made obstructions, sometimes the field unit must connect their radios to a deployed field antenna or field antenna array that can transmit their radio communications to the satellite system.
The current field antenna used by the Army, Marines, and other components of the American military is designated as the OE-254. This consists of several metal tubes that must be connected together and then raised to an upright position. When erected to its 42-foot full height, the OE-254 requires eight guy-lines to securely tie it down so that it does not fall over. Proper deployment of the eight guy-lines requires an open area with a 50-foot diameter, which complicates deployment in restricted areas such as heavy vegetation or crowded urban neighborhoods. Upon deployment, the OE-254 constitutes a static antenna that cannot be relocated without significant disassembly.
The OE-254 has other disadvantages, such as requiring at least two people to set up, and indeed typically needing four to five people. Full assembly takes up to 15 minutes. The OE-254 weighs approximately 50 pounds and stowed in a bag measuring approximately 36″×18″×6″ (“″” denoting inches), which is too heavy for personnel on foot to carry for any significant distance, particularly in rugged terrain. In addition, the OE-254 is quite visible once deployed, and so provides hostile forces with an indicator of the presence of the unit using it. The OE-254 is also not designed to attach to a building or other objects, which hampers deployment in urban areas.